Unusual features

Current observations indicate that M89 may be nearly perfectly spherical in shape. This would be unusual as all other known elliptic galaxies are relatively elongated w:ellipsoids.[citation needed] However, it is possible that the galaxy is oriented in such a way that it appears spherical to an observer on Earth but is in fact elliptical.

The galaxy also features a surrounding structure of gas and dust extending up to 150,000 light-years from the galaxy and jets of heated particles that extend 100,000 light-years outwards, indications that it may have once been an active w:quasar or w:radio galaxy.[4]

M89 also has a large population of w:globular clusters as compared to the w:Milky Way's 150-200, a w:2006 survey out to 10′ of its core estimates that there are 2,000 ± 700 globulars within 25′ of M89.[5]